The world of birth control offers up a wide array of options that suit almost every goal. If yours is to find a way to prevent pregnancy, without having to think about it, an intrauterine device, or IUD, is just the ticket.
Here at our practice, Dr. A. Michael Coppa wants his patients to have the very best in gynecologic care. To that end, we offer the products and services every women needs to successfully navigate each stage of their lives.
If you’re in your reproductive years, but you’re not ready for motherhood, there are dozens of birth control options that meet every need and goal. If you want to explore why so many women are choosing the IUD for their birth control, read on.
There are two different kinds of intrauterine devices that work to prevent pregnancy from different angles. In the first, the IUD offers a hormonal solution for birth control using progestin. This hormone causes the mucus on your cervix to thicken, making it more difficult for sperm to reach your eggs. But if sperm does get through, it won’t find anything to fertilize, as progestin also controls your ovulation and prevents your ovaries from releasing eggs.
The second approach with an IUD relies on copper, a material that sperm avoids. With these types of IUDS, the tiny device is wrapped in copper, which drives sperm in the opposite direction.
It’s hard to argue a 99% success rate in anything, but when it comes to preventing unwanted pregnancy, this number takes on renewed significance. And that’s exactly what an IUD offers, making it one of the most effective options in birth control today. Whether you opt for a hormonal IUD or a copper one, both offer this same rate of protection.
One of the main advantages of an IUD is that it’s a one-time process that you don’t have to think about. If you opt for an IUD, we implant the device during an in-office procedure and that’s it. No daily pills, unreliable condoms, or messy spermicides. The duration of this near-perfect protection depends upon which type of IUD you choose. Some manufacturers offer IUDs that last 3-5 years, while others offer 10-12 years of protection.
In all cases, there’s nothing you need to do after we insert your IUD. This is an incredibly valuable benefit because let’s face it, our lives are busy and keeping up with your regular oil change can be difficult. If you need to take a daily pill or receive injections every few months, there’s plenty of room for error, which can greatly reduce your protection.
IUDs offer busy women a solution that requires no further thought beyond your initial visit with us.
As easy as an IUD is for us to place, it’s just as easy to remove. If you decide at any point that you want to have children, you simply come in to see us and we can remove the device. It may take a few weeks for your body to regulate itself again for reproduction, but you shouldn’t have any lasting effects from your IUD use.
If you’d like to learn more about this very popular birth control option, we invite you to give us a call. Or you can use the online booking tool on this website to set up a consultation.
